Telephone and telegraph contact for movable bodies.



'11. F. KUNIGKI & M. SWIEGIGKI. TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CONTACT FOR MOVABLE BODIES.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1911. 1,025,701

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Patented May 7, 1912.

HENRY F. KUNICKI AND MICHAEL SWIECICKI, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANTA.

TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CONTACT FOR MOVABLE BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 25, 1911.

Serial No. 662,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY F. 'KUNIoKI and MICHAEL SwmoroKI, subjects of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone and Telegraph Contacts for Movable Bodies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a telephone and telegraph contact for movable bodies, and more particularly to contacts used in connection with cars and vehicles for establishing a telephonic and telegraphic connection between the car and a third rail or wire.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a yieldable telephonic and telegraphic contact that can adjust itself to any irregularities in the rail or wire which it engages, the contact insuring a positive connection and consequently an uninterrupted telephonic and telegraphic circuit.

A further object of this invention is to provide a yieldable contact of the above type that is simple in construction, easy to install, durable and highly efficient in connection with a third rail or electric conductor.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the contact, partly broken away and partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same.

The reference numeral 1 denotes the body of a car and suitably secured to the under side of said body, preferably by brackets 2 is a battery box 3 forming part of a telephone or telegraph instrument. Secured to the under side of the body 1 by bolts 4: and nuts 5 are the lateral oppositely disposed arms 6 of a yoke 7, said yoke having the lower end thereof provided with an opening 8. Slidably mounted in the openings 8 is a stem 9 and secured to the upper end of the stem by a screw 10 or other fastening means, is a guide head 11. The guide head 11 has lugs 12 engaging the vertical edges of the yoke 7 to prevent the upper end of the stem from shifting sidewise relatively to said yoke.

Encircling the stem 9, between the head 11 and the bottom of the yoke, is a coiled compression spring 13. Formed integral with the lower .end of the stem 9 is a horizontal U-shaped bearing, 14 providing a slot 15 for a revoluble and circumferentially arranged grooved horizontal wheel 16, said wheel being retained within the bearing by a bolt 17. The wheel is adapted to engage a wire or third rail 18 arranged under the head 19 of a main rolling stock rail 20. Connected to the lower end of the stem 9 by a set screw 21 is a wire 22 having a coiled portion 23 that compensates for any movement of the stem 9 relatively to the yoke 7. The opposite end of the wire 22 is connected to the battery box 3 for establishing a circuit between said battery box and the wire 18.

The stem 9 can adjust itself to compensate for any irregularity of the wire 18 relatively to the head 19 of the rail 20, and in order that the contact can laterally adjust itself to the wire 18, when the distance between said wire and the web 241 of the rail varies, a flat spring 25 is employed. The lateral arms 6 of the yoke are slotted, as at 26 to permit of the yoke shifting and the upper end of the spring 25 is mounted upon one of the bolts 4:, while the lower end thereof is apertured, as at 27 to receive a headed pin 28 mounted in a boss 29, carried by the lower end of the yoke 7. Encircling the headed pin 28, between the boss 29 and the lower end of the spring 25, is a coiled compression spring 30. The tension of the spring 25 is suflicient to normally hold the grooved wheel 16 in engagement with the wire 18, but the spring 20 allows the yoke to yield when any irregularities are encountered in the wire 18.

Patented May *7, 1912.

It is thought that the operation and utility of the contact will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a perferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

at we claim is 1. A contact of the type described comprising a shiftable yoke, a spring supported stem movably mounted in said yoke, a bearing carried by the lower end of said stem, a horizontal circumferentially grooved wheel journaled in said bearing and adapted to engage an electric conductor, and a flat spring associated with said yoke and adapted to normally maintain said wheel in engagement with the electric conductor.

2. In a contact, an electric conductor, a shiftable yoke, a movable stem arranged in said yoke, a bearing carried by the lower end of said stem, a horizontal wheel journaled in said bearing and engaging said electric conductor, and a flat spring associated with said yoke and adapted to normally retain said wheel in engagement with said electric conductor.

3. In a contact, the combination with a Vehicle body, an electric conductor, of a yoke movably supported by said vehicle body, a stem movably mounted in said yoke, a horizontal wheel revolubly supported at the lower end of said stem and adapted to engage saidconductor, and means carried by said body and engaging one side of said yoke for normally holding said Wheel in engagement with said electric conductor.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

4. In a contact, the combination with a vehicle body, an electric conductor, of a yoke movably supported by the under side of said Vehicle body, a spring supported stem arranged in said yoke, a guide head carried by the upper end of said stem, a bearing carried by the lower end thereof, a horizontal wheel journaled in said bearing and engaging said electric conductor, and springs arranged at one side of said yoke and adapted to normally retain said wheel in engagement with said electrical conductor and awire having its lower end connected to the lower end of said stem to establish a circuit with said electrical conductor.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY F. KUNICKI. MICHAEL SlVIECICKl. W'itnesses:

Jos. F. EOKARD, BESSIE C. SELIRIDGE. 

